The invention relates to a device as well as a method for pressing together empty containers, particularly beverage bottles or cans and similar waste material.
Such devices are used to compact empty containers, particularly those from the foods sector, such as beverage bottles, cans, and similar containers, for transport to recycling facilities or for the recycling process itself.
For one thing, devices that work according to the principle of plate pressing are known, and for another, those whose pressing unit(s) contain rollers are known. These devices are optimized either for the treatment of plastic containers or of tin plate containers or cans.
Since the said waste goods can also contain closed containers, in a not insignificant number, a perforator often precedes the pressing device(s) of these devices, e.g. a perforator according to DE 43 38 561 A1 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,661 A.
In order to be able to reduce the technical effort and expense in the case of these devices, devices are also known in which means for perforation are provided on the pressing parts of the pressing device(s), e.g. in the case of a device for compacting empty beverage containers according to DE 100 55 201 A1. This device possesses a conveyor segment that narrows in essentially funnel shape, into which the beverage containers enter and are successively compacted under the effect of devices for transporting them and pressing them together, which delimit the conveyor segment on the sides.
Furthermore, it is provided that there the rollers are equipped with blade-shaped elevations that are distributed on their circumference, which extend over the length of the rollers, in other words parallel to their axis of rotation. Furthermore and in particular in the case of this device, the devices for transporting and pressing together the beverage containers consist of rollers driven by drum motors.
This device is expensive and maintenance-intensive, particularly because of the modules last mentioned.
Another disadvantage results if the distance between the rollers, which are disposed in pairs, particularly those having the least distance between axes, is not precisely adjusted with regard to the distance between them and the position of the blades, which are oriented longitudinally. In this case, cutting of the material that is passed through takes place, so that smaller pieces are formed from a bottle or can, in each instance. Such small and very small pieces are very difficult to process further into bales, if this can even be done at all; additional containers are then required for their transport.